Gate for elevator-shafts.



A. F. BATAILLE.

GATE FOR ELEVATOR SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12, 1914.

1,1 29,537, Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEET-SHEBT 1.

' HIS ATTORNEYS THE NORRIS PETERS 60.. PHOTC LITHOH WASHINGTON. D. c.

A. F. BATAILLE.

GATE POE ELEVATOR SHAFTS.

APPLICATION FILED MAY 12,1914.

Patented Feb. 23, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

lA/VEA/TUR H/S A TTOR/VEYS HE NORRIS PETERS C0. PHUTCI-LITHO WASHINGTONv D c.

FTQE.

ACHILLE F. BA'IAILLE', OF NEW YORK, N. Y.

GATE FOR ELEVATOR-$11M TS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

PatentedFeb. 23, 1915.

Application filed May 12, 1914. Serial No. 837,966.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, AGHILLE F. BATAILLE, a citizen of the United States,residing in the borough of Manhattan, in the city, county, and State ofNew York, have invented an Improvement in Gates for Elevator Shafts, ofwhich the following is a specification.

My invention relates to gates for closing the openings to the elevatorshaft at each floor of a building, and particularly to so called foldingor eXpansible gates, and mechanism for locking the same in an open orclosed position.

The details of my invention are hereinafter particularly described.

In the accompanying drawings :Figure 1 is an elevation looking fromwithin the elevator well or shaft, showing my improved gate in a closedposition. Fig. 2 is a vertical section on the broken line :12 00, ofFig. 1, showing also in dotted lines the position of the gate andlocking mechanism when the gate is open, and also showing in dottedlines the car and mechanism carried thereby in position opposite thegate. Fig. 3 is a transverse section on the broken line 3 y, of Fig. 1,showing also in dotted lines the gate in an open position, and a planview of the front portion of the platform of the car and catch carriedthereby for holding the gate open. Fig. 4.- is an enlarged sectionalview about on the broken line :12, 00, of Fig. 1, showing the gatelocked in a closed position, and also illustrating the contact shoecarried by the car in a position about to operate the mechanism forunlocking the gate from its closed position. Fig. 5 is a view similar toFig. 1, but showing the shoe carried by the car in contact with thelocking mechanism and the gate unlocked from its closed position, andFig. 6 is an enlarged sectional view on the broken line a, z, of Fig. 3.

Similar reference characters indicate like parts throughout the severalviews.

1 indicates an elevator well or shaft having a door-opening 2, above alanding or floor 3.

4: designates a car movable up and down in the shaft 1, and 5 indicatesa folding gate which controls the opening 2.

The supporting frame for the gate consists of the two vertical members6, 7 and transverse members 8, 9. This frame is secured to the wall ofthe well or shaft 1 in any suitable manner surrounding the opening 2therein, or it may be fitted and secured within a recess in the Wall.

l0, 10, indicate two upright members arranged opposite each otheradjacent the frame member'6, and permanently secured at their top andbottom to the transverse frame members 8, 9. These uprights have rightangled longitudinal flanges 11 on each side, and are spaced apart byblocks 12 at the top and bottom, and at intermediate points, if desired.Bolts or rivets 13 connect the uprights 10 together.

14.1-1 and 15l5 and 16-16 indicate additional uprights of similar shapeand spaced and connected, in pairs, in the same manner as the uprights1.0, but these uprights l t, 15 and 16 are not secured to the supportingframe. These uprights 14, 15, 16, together with the lazy-tongs orpivotally connected slats 17, form the folding gate. One of the membersof each pair of uprights 14 and 15 is extended above the transverseframe member 8 and its top bent over, in which portion is pivoted agrooved wheel 18, the top edge of the transverse member 8 forming atrack for the same. The upright 16, at its top, is also provided with asimilar grooved wheel for the same purpose. I have shown in connectionwith this upright an attached piece 19, for the wheel, but if preferredone member of this pair of uprights may be extended above the transversemember 8 similar to the pairs of uprights 1d and 15.

20 indicates a handle or suitable grip secured to the outer surface ofthe upright 16.

The slats 17 are pivotally connected by pins or rivets 21.

The lazy-tongs at one end are pivotally connected between the uprightsl0, imd at the other end between the uprights 22 and 23 represent twocross bars pivotally connected together at one end by a rivet or pin 24,the other end of the cross bar 22 being pivotally connected to theupright 10, while the other end of the cross bar 23 is pivotallyconnected to the upright 16 by a pin or rivet 25. Stops 60, upon theuprights 14 and 15 support these cross bars in a horizontal positionwhen the gate is closed. These cross bars fold with the gate and whenthe gate is opened and return to a horizontal or nearly horizontalposition when the gate is closed. These cross bars act as a back bracefor the gate when closed.

26 indicates a cross piece secured to the upper surface of thetransverse frame member 9, having a longitudinal groove 27 in its uppersurface within which the projecting lower ends 28 of the bottom spacerblocks, between the pairs of uprights 14 and 15, slide.

29 designates an arm, one end of which is secured to the lower part ofthe upright 16, from which it is bent outwardly at an angle and againbent downwardly so that its free end is below the gate for the purposehereafter described.

30 indicates a vertically sliding block fitted between the two uprightmembers 10, and retained therein by the longitudinal flanges 11 uponsuch members. This block 30 has a cross-head 31 which extends beyond theouter surface of the upright 10 on one side.- The lower portion of theblock 30 is reduced and at the bottom of this reduced portion there is avertical slot 32. The upper end of the gate slat 33 enters this slot 32and is pivotally connected therein by a rivet or pivot pin 34. It willreadily be seen therefore that when the gate is opened the block 30 willbe forced upwardly between the upright members 10, and that when thegate is closed the block will be drawn downwardly.

35 and 36 are two spaced guide strips, bent around the outside of thetwo upright members 10 in parallel line, and secured in position byscrews or rivets 37. The ends of these guide strips extend apredetermined distance beyond the outer surface of the upright members10.

38 designates a locking member fitted to slide between the guide strips35 and 36, on one side of the upright 10, and bent at right angles tofit between the said strips at the rear of said uprights. The free endof this member 38 is again bent at right angles to come between theprojecting ends of the strips 35 and 36, so that when the gate 5 isclosed this bent end 39 of the member 38 will rest upon the top surfaceof the cross head 31 of the block 30. The other end of this member 38,or in other words the end of that portion which slides between the guidestrips 35 and 36 is bent at right angles and at this point is secured toa bowed spring 40 of fiat metal by rivets 41. The upright members 10 aresufiiciently near the vertical frame member 6 that the sliding portionof the member 38 is properly retained between the guide strips 35 and 36by said member 6.

42 indicates a shoe carried upon the car 4.

The gate is normally locked in a closed position by the member 38, itsend 39 being in contact with the top of the cross head. 31 of the block30, and said member being incapable of vertical movement by means of theguide strips 35 and 36.

When the car 4 comes in alinement with the gate at any floor, either inascending or descending, the shoe 42 carried upon the car comes incontact with the bowed spring 40, compressing the same and therebyforcing the member 38 backward sufiiciently to release its end 39 fromcontact with the top of the cross-head 31 of the block 30, as shown bydotted lines in Fig. 2 and full lines in Fig. 5. The block 30 is nowfree to move upward when the gate is opened by grasping the handle 20and drawing the upright 16 toward the fixed upright 10, the gate slat 33acting to cause such movement of the block 30. This condition willprevail so long as the car 4 remains stationary opposite the gate.

The gate is locked in an open position by means of a spring operatedcatch lever 43, connected with the platform 44 of the car, and the bentarm 29 carried by the upright 16 of the gate.

45 is a housing arranged in the front of the car platform 44 aboutcentrally thereof in which the catch lever 43 and its operatingmechanism are contained. The lever 43 is pivoted at 46, and its catchhead is nor mally pressed outward through an opening 48 in the faceplate 49, of the platform 44, by a spring 50, one end of which issecured to said face plate 49, by screws or rivets, its free end restingover and upon the free end of the lever 43. The other end of the lever43 is provided with a slot 51 having a beveled portion 52.

53 is a push pin passing down through an opening 54 in the top of thehousing 45, its lower end fitting within a vertical slot 55, in thebottom of the housing. This push pin 53 is also received within the slot51 in the end of the lever 43, and is provided with a projection 56having a beveled side in contact with the beveled portion 52 of saidslot 51. The pin 53 has an integral annular flange 57 on that portioncoming immediately below the under surface of the lever 43, and 58 is acoiled spring surrounding the pin beneath said flange, one end of whichbears against the under surface of said flange while its other end bearsupon the bottom of the housing surrounding the vertical slot 55 therein.This coiled spring normally holds the head 59 of the pin 43 slightlyraised in the opening 54. By depressing the pin 53 the beveledprojection 56 thereon,

acting against the beveled portion of the slot 51 in the lever 48, willturn said lever on its pivot 46, thereby drawing its catch 17 within thehousing, and when pressure upon the head 59, of the pin 53, is releasedthe coiled spring 58 will expand and force the pin upward again, and atthe same time the catch 47 will be projected through the opening 48 bythe spring 50.

The front surface of the catch 47 is beveled outwardly so that when thegate is opened the bent arm 29, carried on the gate, will ride over thisbeveled portion of the catch, forcing it within the housing 415 againstthe tension of the spring 50, and when this bent arm 29 passes saidcatch, the spring 50 throws the catch outwardly in front of the arm 29,thereby locking the gate in an open position. This is clearlyillustrated in Fig. 3. The gate will thus be held by the catch 47, solong as the car 4 remains stationary with the shoe 42 in contact withthe spring 40, but upon moving the car in either an upward or downwarddirection, the arm 29 is drawn away from the catch 17 61 indicates aflat spring, one end of which is secured to the fixed uprights 10, byrivets or screws 62, while its free end projects outwardly therefrom.When the gate is opened the upright 14:, contacts with this spring,compressing the same. When the arm 29 is released from the catch 17,this spring is allowed to expand thereby forcing the gate toward itsclosed position, and to insure a full closure of the gate I provide oneor more spiral springs 63, which are attached to the pivot pins 21 ofthe gate slats 17, in vertical lines as shown in Fig. 1, tending to drawsaid pins toward each other, thus expanding the lazy-tongs and throwingthe gate across the door-way.

The jointed cross-bar 2223 not only acts as a back brace for the gateslats, but limits their expansion, thereby preventing the uprights 16striking the frame with too great force.

Should the operator desire to close the gate before starting the car ineither direction, he may do so by placing h1s foot upon the head 59 ofthe push pin 53 and depressing said pin, thus withdrawlng the catch 47and releasing the arm 29 when the gate will close by the action of thesprings (31 and 63.

I claim as my invention:

1. In combination with an elevator car carrying a shoe, a laterallyfolding gate for a doorway in the shaft, a fixed upright at one side ofsaid doorway to which one side of said gate is pivotally connected, alocking member connected with said fixed upright and slidabletransversely thereof, and a bowed spring permanently secured to one endof said locking member, said car shoe being adapted to contact with saidbowed spring and operate said locking member.

2. In combination with an elevator car provided with a laterallyprojecting shoe, a laterally folding gate for a doorway in the shaft, aframe for said gate secured to the wall of the shaft, a fixed upright atone side of said frame to which one side of said gate is pivotallyconnected, spaced horizontal guide strips secured to said fixed upright,a slidable locking member between said guide-strips, and a bowed springsecured to one end of said sliding locking member, said car-shoe beingadapted to contact with said bowed spring and operate said lookingmember.

8. In combination with an elevator car carrying a shoe, a laterallyfolding gate for a doorway in the shaft, a fixed upright at one side ofsaid doorway to which one side of said gate is pivotally connected, alocking member connected with said fixed upright and slidabletransversely thereof, a bowed spring permanently secured to one end ofsaid locking member, and a jointed lock bar to limit the closure of thegate, said carshoe being adapted to contact with said gowed spring andoperate said locking mem- 1. In combination with an elevator carprovided with a shoe, a laterally folding gate for a doorway in theshaft, a fixed upright having longitudinal flanges at one side of saiddoorway, to which upright one side of said gate is pivotally connected,a block arranged between said flanges and provided with a projectinghead, said block being slidable vertically and having its lower endpivotally connected to the upper end of one slat of the gate, a lockingmember connected with said fixed upright and slidable transverselythereof, said locking member having a bent portion adapted to contactwith the head of said block when the gate is closed, and a bowed springsecured to one end of said locking member, said car-shoe being adaptedto contact with said bowed spring and operate said locking member.

5. In combination with an elevator car provided with a shoe, a laterallyfolding gate for a doorway in the shaft, a frame for said gate securedto the wall of the shaft, a fixed upright having longitudinal flanges atone side of said frame to which upright one side of said gate ispivotally connected, a block arranged between the longitudinal flangesof said upright and provided with a projecting head, said block beingslidable vertically and having its lower end pivotally connected to theupper end of one of the gate slats, spaced horizontal guide stripssecured to said fixed upadapted to contact with said bowed spring right,a sliding looking member between and operate said locking member. saidguide strips, said locking member hav- Signed by me this 30th day ofApril, 1914. 10

ing a bent arm adapted for contact with the ACHILLE F. BATAILLE. 5 headof said block When the gate is closed, Witnesses:

and a bowed spring secured to one end of BERTHA M. ALLEN,

said locking member, said car-shoe being J. B. LE BLANo.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0.

